Letters Home
by Mitsy-R-Emrys
Summary: Present day AU. The Discovery of Vulcan and Romulus have pushed the world into panic. And it only gets worse when people are kidnapped and towns are decimated. With one man behind it, the world is fighting back with the best and brightest.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Not even a little bit.

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><p>Prologue<p>

Earth. One tiny, insignificant planet out of billions in this universe. One tiny planet and we still haven't learned all we can from it. There are still mysteries in this world that we have not discovered, discoveries that would shake us from our perch, would change our very lives.

Humans. They have so many questions. Where do we come from? Why am I here? Do I mean anything? So determined, humans, so curious, so…emotional. They kill what they do not understand, which is everything. Capable of untold beauty they choose instead the darker paths.

Fate. It ties us together. Ties humans to Earth and the Earth to humans. Ties humans' together, links choice to choice and love to hate. Do we have a choice in our life? Or are we bound to others choices? Is fate everything?

Who could say? Who would want to?

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><p>Eleven people, all so different and all so perfect, who will change the world irrevocably. Tied together not by birth, age, race, religion, or even choice, but tied together by chains so much more unbreakable.<p>

The boy with dead parents and guardians who hate him is trying to escape. He will smile when this world is at it's darkest.

The man who cannot walk properly is waiting. He will find love in a letter and it will be his solace in this world.

The boy with too much responsibility is escaping his chains. He will laugh at the world and around him it will burn.

The boy with too many choices stands. He will take no other paths but his own, and his home will pay for it.

The woman who will know nothing but four walls laughs. She will speak and the walls will come tumbling down.

The man who has lived another life before this one leaves. He will be the balm to the destruction.

The man who is too brilliant for humans blinks. He will build a new world when this one is gone.

The woman with steel in her blood watches. She will protect the others when no one else can.

The girl who is too young for war cries. She will know the greatest loss of all.

The man without a future reads. He will die to protect the one he loves.

The woman with hate in her eyes plans. She will paint the world red in the blood of friends and foes.

They will change the world. They have to. The world can't stay the same. Not anymore.

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><p>AN: Hi! So I'm hoping that this will be fairly long but we shall see. The first chapter should be up in about a week. Two weeks tops.

I would love to hear your opinions on who everyone is compared to their blurb. Hope you enjoy!

See you next time,

M-R-E


	2. The Begining and the End

Riverside, Iowa

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><p>When Pavel stepped off the bus he had been traveling on for hours, he was struck at once by how gritty Riverside was. The pavement underneath his shoes was gravel, the houses, which looked like they might have once been white, were instead a dull brown-ish colour, even the grass seemed like it was covered in dust. Nothing moved in the town and there was no sound except for the rumble of the bus as it left.<p>

Pavel was alone. Nothing had felt as good as being alone did right now. He had nothing to do, no one to see, no one to write or call, and four hours in which to wait for his next bus.

Pavel had decided to explore Riverside, sleepy little town that it was, when his stomach let out a deafening grumble. Pavel blushed though there was no one around to hear his hungry, rumbly stomach. Apparently exploring would have to wait until his stomach had been satisfied. Picking a direction in which to walk, Pavel crossed the gravel road, looking both ways before crossing the street as his mother had taught him. Pavel was just passing a dusty, slightly shiny building when he was knocked over. As Pavel lay stunned, hair askew, eyes wide, luggage pushed to the side, he stared up into a woman's face.

She was beautiful. Her eyes were large and almost black, her hair was long, straight, brown, and covered her ears, and she was wearing an odd, black, dress/tunic thing. She said not a thing to Pavel and Pavel could see no remorse or indeed any emotion in her face or cold black eyes. She was beautiful but there was something about the lines of her face and the way she carried herself that suggested haughtiness to Pavel. He was proven right when she simply dusted herself off and carried on walking, calm as could be, saying not a word.

'How did I not see her?' thought Pavel. He should have. Even if she had come from the building beside him he should have seen her. Pavel had no explanation. As far as he knew people could not just simply appear.

'Maybe she teleported.' Pavel thought sarcastically. As he went about picking himself up, he caught sight of the sign on the building beside him.

Written in neat, plain letters on the door were the words, 'The Enterprise' and below it 'café' and beside it 'bar'.

The front of the Enterprise was clean, except for the dust that seemed a constant fixture in this town. It was hard for Pavel to tell if the exterior was wood or chrome. It seemed silver in colour, even the deck and steps, but it was hard to tell with all the dust. On the porch there were flower boxes that held the strangest flowers. They were gold, red, and blue and all different types that he had never seen before.

Pavel grabbed his bag and climbed the steps. He peered at the strange flowers before turning his attention to the door. There was no sign on the door to proclaim it open or closed. Hesitantly Pavel tried the door. With a little effort it swung open.

Cautiously Pavel poked his head in "Is anyone here?" he asked into the utterly empty café.

Pavel looked around before stepping in. It was dark, but when his eyes adjusted he inside of the Enterprise was completely different from the outside. It was clean for one thing, absolutely glistening. The walls were chrome, the floor a glossy, black wood. Tables and chairs littered the floor in a random pattern. There was so many chairs and tables that there was no clear path to the back, where a bar ran the length of the wall. Chrome bar stools were placed at regular intervals underneath the bar, and behind it were three doors and a spiral staircase. It was absolutely stunning. And there was something about it that made Pavel immediately think of Russia, and home, and his parents.

Hesitantly Pavel stepped farther into the café. His shoes made little sound on the hardwood floor. But even though Pavel was very, very quiet someone still heard him.

Slowly, Pavel made his way through the maze of chairs and tables to the back of the café. He was very careful not to trip or knock anything over. He was so caught up in staring at everything and not making a fool of himself that he missed the pair of eyes watching him. Once he had made it to the back of the room, Pavel pulled out a barstool, set his bag down, and sat. He looked around, searching for any signs of life.

"Is anyone here?" Pavel asked again.

"I am." Came a voice from directly behind him. Pavel whirled on his barstool to face the person behind him...and promptly face-planted into the ground. As he fell he heard someone giggling.

After he had taken a moment to comprehend his new position Pavels slowly sat up. Gingerly he felt his nose for any signs of swelling or the feel of blood.

"Are you okay?" came the voice. Pavel looked up into the face of a young girl. She was small, with long, brown hair, and big, expressive brown eyes. She stared at Pavel with obvious curiosity and concern.

"I…I'm fine." He answered her. There was no damage to his nose or body only his pride.

She smiled a brilliant smile and then started to talk. "What's your name? Where do you come from? You talk funny, has anyone ever told you that?" The girl shot rapid-fire questions at him not waiting for an answer before moving on. "Why are you wearing that uniform? Are you a soldier? Do you know my Daddy and Uncle?" she stopped and looked down hopefully at him. Pavel took a moment to stand up and right the bar stool before sitting and answering her questions.

"My name is Pavel Andreivich Chekov." He started. "I was born in Russia, which is why I talk 'funny' though you talk kind of funny yourself."

The girl took no heed to the gentle barb. "I'm from Georgia." The girl stated proudly as if that explained everything. And perhaps it did. "But what about your uniform?" she continued.

"I joined the army, so yes I am a soldier, but no I don't know your Father or Uncle." Pavel answered. "So what's your name?" Pavel asked, as the girl had said nothing to the last answer.

"My name is Joanna." She said as she climbed onto a neighboring bar stool. "And my Daddy is Leonard and my Uncle is Jim and if you see them I want you to tell them to write, cause they haven't written in along time and I miss them."

Pavel didn't know what to say to that. Joanna just looked impossibly sad for a moment.

"Oh I know!" she exclaimed perking up. "You should write me, that way you can tell me when you meet Daddy and I'll have another pen pal." Joanna looked at Pavel with such obvious hope and joy in her eyes that Pavel just had to say yes. At her insistence Pavel opened his bag up and dug around until he found paper and a pen.

"Okay here's the address-Enterprise Café, Kobayashi Street, Riverside, Iowa, United States of America, the zip code is N1C-7C. You got that?" Joanna asked peering down atthe address on paper. "Looks good!" She exclaimed somehow managing to sound surprised and impressed at the same time. "That should be all you need. If it gets to Riverside it'll find me."

Carefully Pavel bent down to stow the precious piece of paper away. As he was wrestling with his bag he heard a door open and steps sound over the hardwood floor. They were slow and uneven steps, almost as if someone was shuffling.

"Joanna, are you talking this poor man's ear off? I told you to come get me if anyone came in." A man's voice admonished. Pavel could tell it was a man because though it was soft and melodic, it was deep and had a rough edge to it.

Pavel had finally finished fighting with his bag, satisfied that it wouldn't pop open and spill its contents everywhere. He sat up, careful not to bump his head on the bar, and was immediately caught in the gaze of the most amazing, beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

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><p>Somewhere in San Francisco<p>

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><p>Spock nodded absently to a question posed to him. He was too busy folding clothes and deciding what to bring with him to pay to much attention to what was being said.<p>

His correspondent could sense Spock's absent mindedness but what could he do. Nothing he could say was going to get his attention. And everything he wanted to say he couldn't.

"When will you be heading out?" He asked.

Spock turned to the computer monitor for a moment as if to answer.

"I must go." He said and then terminated the call. Spock went back to packing as if nothing had happened. And if there were the starts of tears threatening his eyes, well he'd never tell.

Elsewhere the man Spock had been talking to stared at a blank computer screen. He felt as if his heart was cracking into tiny pieces. Spock had totally disregarded the question, something he had never done in the length of their accaintence.

Where had all the trust they had had gone? Would he ever get it back?

Slowly he turned in his chair and stood. As he walked to the door he spoke the words he had told himself he would never say.

"I miss you. So much. Every day." And then he was gone.


	3. Staying Behind and Leaving You

Somewhere on the Pacific Ocean

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><p>Sometimes it seemed as if the walls were closing in around her. Like they were being pushed in. Collapsing onto her.<p>

Her cell was getting smaller and smaller. And every time the walls closed in on her they pushed in farther and retracted less. Nothing could stop them. They took and took and took and never gave an inch.

Outside of her four walls she could hear people speaking. They spoke in a language unknown to most of the world but she understood. She understood perfectly. The words had saved her from going mad on many occasions. Sometimes, when the walls were closing in, she thought that she was the only person alive. But the words helped to remind her that wasn't the case. She listened to the rough words being spoken and translated them.

Anything to keep her mind off the hunger of the walls. Anything to keep from reminding her that no one was coming. That she was alone.

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><p>Riverside, Iowa<p>

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><p>Pavel has never seen eyes so beautiful or so captivating. He's lost in them and he never wants to be found. Joanna finally speaks breaking the staring match.<p>

"But Uncle 'Karu, Pavel never said anything about being hungry." Joanna said, a slight whine to her voice. 'Karu' turns away from Pavel to face Joanna.

"Regardless I suspect that he's hungry. The only reason you come into a café is to get food or drink."

"Nuh uh." Joanna pouted, "He could have come to see me." She said indignantly as she stuck her tongue out at her uncle. Karu shook his head at her and then turned back to Pavel.

"My name is Hikaru and I will be your server today. Anything I can get you to drink or eat?" Hikaru smiled at Pavel.

Pavel blushed a deep, bright red. "Um, I will have some water and a sandwich if you have."

"Any particular type of sandwich?" Hikaru asked.

"Whatever you think I would like." Pavel said and then blushed again. 'I must sound like an absolute fool.' Pavel thought.

Hikaru nodded and then turned and slowly limped his way to a door labeled kitchen. It seemed obvious that his leg was bothering him but Pavel didn't speak up. Hikaru disappeared behind the door. Joanna turned to face Pavel.

"I have to go help Uncle 'Karu. I'll be back soon." She said and then slipped off the stool. Pavel watched her disappear behind the bar and then the door. As the door closed she turned and smiled a dazzling smile in is direction. Pavel sighed and spun on his stool. He had never felt more like a child then when he had spoken to Hikaru.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Hikaru was busy concocting a sandwich. Joanna was gathering ingredients from the fridge, but as she did so she chattered on and on about the man outside. "His name is Pavel and he's from Russia, I wonder if that's why he speaks so funny. He gets all his _v_'s and _w_'s mixed up. I wonder if all people from Russia speak like that. Anyway, he said that he's a soldier and that he's going to write us and tell Daddy and Uncle Jim to write. He's awfully cute isn't he?" Hikaru cut in there, turning slowly, revolving on his cane.

"Cute? Aren't you a little young to be having a crush on a boy, Jojo?"

"Nope!" Joanna exclaimed, "Annie Miller from two streets down is dating Roy Baxter and she's only 7. I'm eight and nine months." She said proudly as if Hikaru didn't already know. "Anyway," Joanna continued, " I think he's got a crush on you Uncle 'Karu. Did you see the way he blushed the moment you walked into the room? And then he just stared and stared and stared like he just couldn't take his eyes off you." Joanna continued talking but Hikaru had stopped listening. His thoughts were on the man just a room away. He couldn't deny that he was good-looking. All long limbs, pale skin, curly hair, and bright, blue eyes that captivated him. But if he **was** a soldier as Joanna said he was, then it would be foolish to start anything. Chances were that they would never meet again, if the boy-Pavel his head interjected-even made it out alive. Joanna tugged on his sleeve, shaking Hikaru out of his grim thoughts.

"It's just so romantic isn't it?" she said in a wistful kind of way once she had his attention.

Hikaru cocked an eyebrow at her. "What is?"

"Well you and Pavel obviously." She said in a tone of voice that said it should be obvious. "He's going to war to fight for his country and he'll send letters to you and when you reply, your letters will be the only thing that will make it worth while. And then just before the penultimate battle…"

"Penultimate?" Hikaru interrupted.

"Yes, penultimate. Before the **penultimate **battle," Joanna put special emphasis on penultimate. Hikaru suppressed a laugh. "He'll declare his utter devotion and love to you in a letter. Then during the penultimate battle he'll have a couple really close near death experiences but he'll think of you and he won't be able to die. Eventually the war will be over and then he'll come back here and you two will share a passionate kiss in front of the whole town. And you'll live happily ever. The end." Joanna sighed dreamily as she finished her tale.

"Is that how it's going to happen?" Hikaru asked incredulously. "Well don't get your hopes up, chances are that he has a girl back home. Now go give him his sandwich, I'll get his water. And don't mention your grand epic to him." Joanna smiled in a way that didn't reassure Hikaru at all and then walked out to give Pavel his food. By the time Hikaru had limped over to get the water he could hear laughter. It took him a while to get back onto the floor but when he got there Pavel was halfway through his sandwich and Joanna was-Surprise!-talking his ear off. Not about their grand love affair from the sounds of it-Thank goodness-but about Joanna's school.

"And then Katie told me that Annie was just whoring herself out but I said that she wouldn't do that."

"Was Annie whoring herself out?" Pavel asked. Hikaru had to smile, he sounded so genuinely interested.

"No, she wasn't." Joanna answered. "She had to take a shift in the kissing booth for the school fundraiser." Hikaru placed the glass of water in front of Pavel and sat on the stool behind the counter.

"Sorry for the slow service." Hikaru apologized as he settled himself on the stool.

"That's quite alright. This is a very good sandwich." Pavel smiled and for a moment it took Hikaru's breath away. Hikaru settled his cane against the bar.

"So, what are you doing in Riverside? Generally it doesn't attract too many people."

"I'm just passing through. A bus is coming in an hour and a half to collect me. From here it will make its way to San Francisco stopping at many small towns to collect everybody. Then training will begin in San Francisco for two weeks and then we go on. Wherever that might be." He shrugged as if the prospect of the unknown was nothing to be concerned about. Hikaru whistled, long and low. "Only two weeks training. Things must be escalating with Vulcan and Romulus."

"Da, I think so. I passed through many small towns on the way here and everywhere there is signs asking for recruits to army, air force, and navy. I think everyone is getting very nervous." Joanna giggled as Pavel stopped talking. He turned to look at her. "What is so funny?" Pavel asked.

"Your accent." She said. "It's…" she considered. "Cute." She finished. She smirked and winked at Hikaru.

"Cute?" Pavel asked disbelieving. "Yeah! Don't you think so, Uncle 'Karu?" she asked innocently.

'Little bugger!' Hikaru thought. What he said was more along the lines of um…a…yes. Joanna giggled again. Hikaru was going to kill her when Pavel left. And they were never ever going to find the body. While Hikaru was planning Joanna's murder, Pavel was smiling and holding in a laugh. That was more than enough to shake Hikaru out of his thoughts.

"So, Russia is quite a long way to come to join the American army. Why did you come?" Pavel started, obviously not expecting the question though it seemed an obvious question to Hikaru.

"Ah, no I have lived in America for the past nine years. I am an American citizen." There was no other information, no more said and it was clear to all that Pavel was uncomfortable with the topic. An awkward silence descended on the café. It seemed to stretch on and on. Finally, Pavel returned to his sandwich. The café was filled with the sound of his chewing. Suddenly a loud beeping noise rang out. Hikaru almost fell out of his chair. Joanna did. Pavel just blinked. Carefully he grabbed a couple of napkins and wrapped up his sandwich.

"What do I owe you for the sandwich?" Pavel asked cheerfully.

Hikaru blinked, stunned. "Uh…Nothing." Pavel nodded as if this was normal.

"Well, I should be going. My bus will be here in an hour minutes and they require you be at the bus depot an hour before departure." Pavel tucked his sandwich into his pocket and grabbed his bag. He hefted it over his shoulder before continuing. "Thank you for the meal. It was very good."

"You'll write right?" Joanna asked, looking up with big, suddenly wet eyes and a pout on her face.

"Yes, I will. And I will find your Papa and Uncle and make them write. I promise." Pavel said as he started for the door.

"And you'll come back one day?" Joanna asked hopefully.

Pavel hesitated, thinking. "Yes. One day I'll come back and find you." He said, finally. "Goodbye, Joanna. Hikaru." And then Pavel was gone.

"You hear that, Uncle 'Karu? He said he'd come back!" and with that she started to sing 'Can you feel the love tonight?'

"Okay, okay no more Disney movies for you." But as he herded Joanna out of the room he found that his thoughts were not on Joanna or the Enterprise but on a curly haired, soldier boy. Shortly, they heard the sound of the bus rumbling into Riverside. The two looked at each other. Neither spoke. They were silent even as they heard the bus rumble away. They left each other to their thoughts. But they both knew whom the other was thinking of.

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><p>Somewhere on the Pacific Ocean<p>

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><p>Christine Chapel absolutely hated machines. She hated the fact that they always needed attention, hated that they were taking over her world, hated them for their very convenience, but most of all she hated them for stealing everything that she loved most. Oh, she supposed that in the middle of a life-saving operation she didn't hate them. She supposed that machines were giving people new life and better limbs, but they were also causing more deaths and injury. And Christine missed the days when saving a man's life was about the skill of the doctor not the fancy gadgets he had with him. Christine could go on and on about how much she hated machines but she knew she wouldn't hate them nearly so much if He didn't love them more than He loved her.<p>

As Christine opened the doors to her quarters she sighed. Honestly there was nothing to be done except move on. He wasn't going to give up the machines so she had to give up him. Simple as that. And that was exactly what she planned to do this very night. Christine headed straight to the cabinet in her room that held her very best liquor. She poured herself a small glass, not enough to get her drunk or even buzzed but just enough to take the edge off. With that done Christine moved to her dresser. Christine rifled through her closet looking for her best-read most provocative- clothes. She finally settled on a skirt that was even shorter than her uniform-hard to find but not impossible- and a nice blue, lacey tank top. She pulled on non-regulation boots and then checked her hair and make-up. Finding everything satisfactory she drained her glass and then looked into the mirror and smiled. Turning on her heel, Christine made her way out of the room. She was going to find herself a man. One who wanted her more than those bloody machines.

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><p>AN: Just wanted to send a big thank you to aura183 and bambamdramaqueen for alerting this. You guys make my days.

So hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I should be updating again next week. See you then. :)


	4. Introductions

San Francisco Harbour

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><p>"Dammit Jim! How do you get into these kind of situations!"<p>

"Talent?"

"Is that what they're calling stupidity these days?"

"Ow! There's no need to be so rough with those needles Bones!"

Christine smirked.

"What are you smirking about Chris? It hurts!"

"Shut up and stop your whining. Chris, hand me the peroxide."

Christine handed Bones the peroxide. He swabbed the wound with it.

"There, you're done. You better go change so you're all shiny for the new recruits."

Jim hopped off the bed. "Thanks Bones."

"Yeah yeah. Just be more careful. I'd like to have some time to relax."

Christine and Jim both laughed. Bones scowled at them.

"If you don't leave right now you're getting more needles." He threatened.

Jim paled and practically ran for the door. "See ya, Bones. Chris." The door slammed shut behind him. Bones sighed.

"I guess now wouldn't be the time to tell you that you have a huge pile of paperwork?" Christine guessed.

"Hand it over. I got nothing better to do." Bones settled down with his paperwork while Christine did inventory.

'I wonder what the new recruits will be like?' he thought before the mindless oblivion that paperwork brought settled into him.

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><p>San Francisco<p>

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><p>Pavel was in awe. San Francisco was huge. Pavel felt a little star struck, being in this city full of tall skyscrapers and sprawling strip malls.<p>

He was headed to the place that would be his home for the next two weeks. Lovingly called 'the Academy' this was where the army and navy were stationed while they were training or where they stayed between assignments. It was huge just like the rest of San Francisco. It boasted sprawling grounds, an ocean side view, and dorms for thousands of personnel. And the Academy lived up to its claims.

When he got there, he was immediately shown to his dorm, which he would be sharing with three other boys.

Pavel dropped his bag. The room was plain and small, but Pavel was okay with that. It had two bunk beds, a desk, two bureaus, and a small bathroom. There was nothing more than was needed and everything that was there was basic. Pavel didn't bother to unpack or do anything else other than making sure that he was presentable. He left the dorm and headed to the main docking area where assembly would be taking place.

He waited in line with all the others to report, be told where he was sitting, get a schedule, and a rules and regulations book. As he waited Pavel looked around. Everywhere he looked there were big, burly men that made Pavel feel very small and thin. But his size wasn't calling attention to himself. Everyone was staring at something much more interesting than one skinny kid. Their attention was on a man striding to the front of the line.

He was dressed in military dress but something about him was strange. He walked very fast and with extremely good posture but that wasn't it. It wasn't until Pavel could see his face and neck that Pavel knew why everyone was staring. The man had coal black hair shaped into an unfortunate bowl cut that he actually made somewhat fashionable, and his eyes were dark almost black, but the things that caught everyone's attention were his eyebrows, his ears, and his tattoos.

His eyebrows were fairly standard but at the ends they slanted upwards sternly. His ears were perhaps the most obvious marker of what he was, for they were shaped into tips at the end. They reminded Pavel of the fairy tales his mother had told him when he was a child.

And then there were his tattoos, which Pavel had not thought common for his kind. They were just visible over the edge of his collar. It seemed to be some kind of swirled design. They wouldn't have been very visible but the ink was so black-blacker than his hair-especially against his pale skin. As soon as he had passed whispers erupted. Pavel didn't comment on the man's passing. For Pavel this wasn't an opportunity to gossip. Instead it was the first proof that there was a reason for the increase in recruitment. That man was a Vulcan; there was no doubt about it.

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><p>The Academy Docks<p>

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><p>Spock was used to the stares and whispers that followed him wherever he went. As a Vulcan away from home he had to be. However the whispering had never been this strong.<p>

"Is that?" "I think so." "Could it be?" Spock heard snatches of whispered gossip from the new recruits.

It had long since grown tiresome but Spock had learned to ignore them. He made his way to the front of the line where a man specifically there for ranked officers awaited him.

"Good Evening, Commander Spock. Your seat is in the second row from the front, left side, chair number 18." Spock nodded and accepted his package of paperwork and information. He strode swiftly towards his seat trying to avoid the new cadets. Finding his seat quickly he sat. Spock read his paperwork and information. It took him all of three minutes. That done and with nothing else to do Spock retreated into his head. He found it unsettling that there were so many new recruits. In years past there had not been half as many young men and woman. Spock found that the increase could only mean one thing. The state of Romulus and Vulcan was undoubtedly getting worse and that if things did not change soon there would be war. Spock shuddered at the idea of attacking his home worlds.

"Spock!" a familiar voice broke Spock away from his grim thoughts. Inwardly Spock cringed and readied his mental shields. Outwardly he turned slightly to look into icy green-blue eyes. He inclined his head. "Captain Pike." He said voice perfectly even. His father would have been proud. His mother would not.

"Spock, I need to talk to you after this. It's important." Pike said as he sat in the seat in front of Spock. Spock stared at him.

"I do not believe we have anything to discuss." He said, tone cold.

"Spock, please. I need to talk to you. Please." Pike turned in his seat to look at Spock.

"I believe you have said everything you wanted to say Christopher." Spock's tone was pure ice. Christopher was just about to say something when the bugle sounded. Spock and Christopher turned to face front. Nothing was said. Neither said a word for the whole assembly, which really is how it should be. But they spoke no words to each other after, though Pike tried.

"Spock" he said as he turned to face him. But Spock was gone. When Christopher finally spotted Spock, he looked at him with sad eyes. Spock was talking to various recruits, something that was far from normal for him. He usually stayed away from the new ones until they were better briefed on Vulcan and Romulus. Christopher sighed and turned back to the other instructors. But his heart wasn't in it and was instead being held captive by one man who was very, very mad at him.

* * *

><p>The Academy<p>

* * *

><p>After the shock of seeing a real life Vulcan, the recruits settled down. Pavel was surprised at the efficiency that they got through everyone. By the time Pavel got to the front of the line the chairs were over half full.<p>

"Name?" said the man doing paperwork.

"Chekov, Pavel Andreievich." Pavel said, with something like pride in his voice.

"Well, Cadet Chekov, here's your paperwork and informational guide. Your seat is in row 78, right side, and seat number 285. Good day." And that was that. The man's attention was on the next person in line. Knowing a dismissal when he heard it, Pavel turned away to find his seat.

He recognized no one. (Which wasn't surprising but was slightly depressing.) Pavel settled himself into his chair and looked over the book that held the rules and regulations. He started to read, as seats filled up around him. It didn't take long after that to get everyone seated and then for the assembly to start. Honestly everything in the assembly had been covered when Pavel had first joined up and then again in the paperwork and book that he had been reading. Anyone else, indeed many cadets had tuned out completely. Not Pavel. He listened with rapt attention to everything and with the kind of devotion that spoke of the possibility of memorization. It went on for far too long by almost everyone's standard except perhaps Pavel or Spock. Eventually it was over and the cadets were free to go. Their only instruction was that all new and returning cadets were to report here tomorrow at six o'clock sharp. Pavel, who knew no one in San Francisco, decided to return to his dorms to unpack a bit and possibly start on that letter to Joanna and Hikaru. And so it was.

He walked back to his dorm, met nobody and talked to nobody. He climbed the stairs to his room and changed into the most comfortable pair of pajama's he owned, made sure that everything was ready for tomorrow, and then he sat down on his bed with a piece of paper and a pen and he wrote. He wrote in fits and starts, taking the time to consider each and every word. It had been harder than he had anticipated, writing to two complete strangers. But eventually he finished the letter. He folded it, put it into an envelope and then carefully wrote out the address that Joanna had given him. He tucked the letter away to be given to a post office later. This done and nothing else to do, Pavel started to get ready for bed.

Which is when the door opened and three young men, who were presumably his roommates, walked in. They were all incredibly different. One was huge and burly, another tall and strong but not bulky as the first had been, and the last was a round short man who looked sort of like a rat. Each looked somewhat shocked to see Pavel.

It was the second man who spoke. "You the other roommate, then?"

"Yes." Pavel said at once. There was a long, awkward silence…and then the second man spoke again. "Well, my name is John Giotto, this man here" he pointed at the shorter, round man. "Is Harry Mudd and this is Cupcake." He finished slapping the bigger man on the back. "My name is not Cupcake." Cupcake said. Addressing Pavel he continued. "It's actually Jeff Thompson."

Pavel smiled. "My name is Pavel Chekov. It is very nice to meet you." He said.

Mudd laughed. "What's with your accent, boy? It's thicker than molasses." And then he laughed again.

Pavel frowned. "I am from Russia. Everyone speaks like this there."

"Okay, Okay" Giotto said, sensing a fight. "I think everyone should just calm down and get to sleep. It's an early morning." Pavel and Mudd shared one last glare before Pavel went and collected his toothbrush and went to the bathroom. Within fifteen minutes everyone was in his respective beds. Pavel smiled into the darkness of their shared room. Tomorrow would be a good day. Pavel could feel it. And then they were all asleep.

* * *

><p>Somewhere on the Pacific Ocean<p>

* * *

><p>The door opened with a creak. Her head whipped around so fast that it cracked. The noise resonated around the small room. The man standing in the doorway smiled at the noise. He was odd looking. So much so that she thought that he might not be human.<p>

"You must come with me. Someone wishes to see you." He said in passable English.

Slowly she stood and walked towards the door. The man grabbed her hands and handcuffed them behind her. "My name is Ayel. Before you meet my Lord you must be bathed and dressed." He smiled as if to reassure her. But then the smile turned into ice.

"Walk" he ordered. She did. Ayel brought her into an adjoining room, which had a large tub already filled with water. A woman who looked somewhat like Ayel waited next to the tub. Ayel uncuffed her hands so they were no longer bound together, but instead handcuffed her to the tub.

"Bathe." He said and she knew that it was an order. Quickly she stripped off her filthy dress and stepped into the tub. The woman washed her hair and scrubbed her skin and when this was done to the women's satisfaction she was hauled out of the tub and dried. The women massaged oil onto her back, arms, legs, and belly. Then the woman brushed her hair out and braided it. A different woman came out then, holding a scarlet dress. The two of them managed to tug the dress onto her despite the fact that she was still handcuffed to the bathtub. The dress felt nice on her skin, and she liked the long sleeves though the skirt was far too short. As soon as she was in the dress, Ayel came back.

"Oh, look at you!" He exclaimed, his eyes alight with joy and hands clasped together. "You do clean up well. My Lord will be most pleased, my dear." He seemed to drink in the sight of her. He stopped when he saw her eyes, for they glowed with hate.

"Oh now, come my dear, relax. Hatred will get you nowhere." Ayel clicked his fingers and the women who had washed and dressed her retreated into the shadows. Ayel bent down to unlock the hand that was trapped to the bathtub. When he felt her stare he looked up and smiled at her. He handcuffed her hands behind her back again.

"Come. We must go. My Lord grows impatient." And then they walked. Well Ayel walked, she had to almost run to keep up. After a time, which could have been 4 minutes or 4 hours they stopped. In front of them was a huge, ornate door. Ayel walked up and knocked on the door. Harsh words came through the door. She understood them to be 'Enter'. Together they walked into the room. Sitting at the far end of the room, in the shadows was a man. He sat in a chair that sat on a raised section of floor. The effect was that of someone who was royalty. The man in the shadows made no attempt to move or talk as Ayel tugged her to the front of the room. Ayel dropped to his knees. The man spoke, though in English this time.

"Stand up Ayel." Once Ayel had done so, the man turned to the woman in front of him.

"Hello, my dear human. What is your name?" he said. He had a voice like blowing sand, coarse, grating, the kind of voice that will always stick with you. The woman took a moment to gather herself before looking up. Hatred burned in her dark eyes as she spoke.

"My name is Nyota Uhura and I don't give a damn."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for all the kind reviews and story alerts! They really make my day! Actually anyone reading just makes my day. :) An especially big thanks to bambamdramaqueen, Maudlin Mush, and startrekgirl.m. :)


	5. Breaking Apart

The Academy Dorms, San Francisco

* * *

><p>Pavel woke early the next day. He was the first up, so he claimed the first shower. Being an early riser had always been a useful skill and that was true even here. When he was done his shower and dressed the others were just getting up. Giotto smiled at him, Cupcake nodded in his direction, but Mudd right out scowled at him. Feeling like he should leave before an argument started, Pavel left his dorm. He was dressed for everything that the day would bring and had nothing to do, as they would get breakfast after their first briefing. Pavel wandered through the building, taking in the architecture and calculating the angles between the doors and the wall. Math always helped him when he was nervous.<p>

Pavel had just gotten to the main floor when he spotted it. The mailbox was shiny and apple red. Pavel smiled as he reached into his pocket to grab the letter. Carefully, he deposited it into the mail slot.

'Good, that's done. I won't have to worry about finding a post office or something.' Pavel thought, relieved. He had just turned to inspect a vending machine when he glanced at his watch. It read 5:30 and Pavel decided that he should probably be going.

'Better to be early than late.' He thought as he crossed through the building and headed to the docks, where the briefing would be taking place.

Pavel took his time to get there; pausing to admire the grounds of the Academy and its various flowers, trees, and shrubs. Pavel was still one of the first to be there, a good fifteen minutes early. He didn't attempt small talk with anyone else, instead using the time to watch the water of the Pacific Sea. Looking out at it like this, it truly was magnificent, the water crashing in on itself, mist flying everywhere, and the harsh cries of gulls. All around him the docks filled with people, returning soldiers and new cadets alike. Lieutenants flitted through the crowds, organizing everyone into nice, even rows. The moment they were done a bugle sounded.

Every man and woman there snapped to attention. Their spines snapping straight, arms pressed to their torsos, eyes and toes straight ahead. At the very front, Pavel could see a man walk on to a slightly raised platform and then stop, so he stood facing the crowd dead center. He had the air of someone who was used to commanding attention. The man was dressed in military dress, the kind that spoke of very high rank. He seemed to be in his early thirties or late twenties, and had dishwater blond hair. However his most distinguishing feature was his eyes. They were the colour of arctic ice, green-ish blue and seemed to pierce right through you, almost as if you weren't there. He gave the crowd a once over before speaking.

"My name is Captain Christopher Pike and I will be your commanding officer. For some of you this is your second, third, fourth time here. If this is the case, then you know the drill. For you we will simply reinforce the information you have already learned and make sure that you are still in top physical shape. Those of you who are just beginning here will be tested physically, mentally, and emotionally. At the end of these two weeks you will be assigned to a ship and from there you will be given orders." The Captain paused to take a breath.

"This will be demanding. It most certainly won't be easy. But I have faith that each one of you will do what you must to persevere. Now each of you should already have a division that you have been sorted into. Division One line up far left, Division Two far right, Division Three dead center, and Division Four back. Dismissed." There was a flurry of movement as people scrambled to their divisions.

'I didn't think these were so short.' Pavel thought.

Pavel was in division three. He made his way to the center of the stage. Five minutes later the chaos had died down a bit. Everyone had made it to his or her divisions. Momentarily a man walked up to Pavel's division. Pavel managed to keep his surprise to himself, but others were not so tactful. All around him Pavel could hear gasps and exclamations. Pavel himself wasn't so much in shock as in awe. He couldn't believe his luck. His divisions' main instructor was a Vulcan. In fact Pavel was sure that it was the same Vulcan as yesterday, he had the same black eyes, same bowl cut, same curled ears, and-most telling of all-the same curling black tattoos peeking from his collar. The Vulcan man stopped in front of the mass of people and raised his hand in a strange hand gesture. It looked like a strange v with his fingers.

"My name is Commander Spock of the houses Gray and Sarek. I will be your commanding officer for the next two weeks. Today you will be undergoing medical exams." Commander Spock's voice was deep and smooth and for some reason it reminded Pavel of dark chocolate.

"Tomorrow you will all meet here at six o'clock in the morning. Follow me." And then the Commander turned and started to walk away. Pavel and the others hurried to follow him, no one wanting to be left behind. Commander Spock led the cadets through trees, over paths, and past buildings. He took so many twists and turns that Pavel felt dizzy. Eventually they stopped in front of a nondescript building. A sign in front of it read 'Hospital'.

"Arrange yourselves in a single file line according to your last name." The Commander said. Everyone hurried to do so. Once this was done, the Commander turned on his heel and went into the hospital. The line burst into chatter the moment the Commander was gone, but Pavel kept his mouth shut. For some reason he didn't think that would be a good idea. Indeed just moments later the Commander came out. His face showed no emotion but his voice was stern as he spoke

"Such outright chatter will not be tolerated. If you must talk you will not break rank to do it and you will whisper." The look that he gave the line of cadets could have frozen a volcano. Slowly the Commander turned back to the hospital and disappeared behind its doors. This time no one dared to speak. About ten minutes later a woman came out and started to call names. Five people at the front of the line went first and then 10 minutes later five more left. No one in the line talked, though the Commander was inside. After twenty minutes Pavel was part of the group being ushered in to the hospital.

"Wait here." The nurse said. She disappeared into the depths of the hospital. A couple of minutes later a different nurse came out. She was pretty, with golden hair done up high on her head and bright blue eyes that matched the colour of her uniform.

"Pavel Chekov, come with me please." She said. She waited for Pavel to start walking before she turned and made her way to through the hospital. She led him to a small room that contained nothing more than a bed, a desk, and a small chair.

"Sit on the bed, please." She said and then left. Pavel did as he was told and sat on the bed. He was just starting to become uncomfortable, when the nurse came back in. She sat down in the single chair in the room and pulled out a file folder and a pen. She turned to Pavel.

"I'm Nurse Chapel and I'll be doing your physical today. Please take off your coat." Once Pavel had done so, she led him through a series of exercises involving the use and flexibility of his arms, legs, torso, and neck.

"Okay, Cadet Chekov. Put your coat on and come with me." She waited for him to put on his coat before leading him to another small room.

"Please take off your boots, coat, top, and anything metallic and then lie down on the bed." With that Nurse Chapel was gone. Pavel hurried to do as she asked, wanting to get on with the rest of the day. Once he had stripped and was lying down on the bed Nurse Chapel's voice rang out through an intercom.

"Try to stay as still as possible while I take this ex-ray. When I tell you to, hold your breath. I'll tell you when to breathe again." Pavel concentrated on not moving a muscle. After a couple moments Nurse Chapel told him to hold his breath. He could hear the whirr of the ex-ray machine as it examined him. Then Nurse Chapel told him to breathe. Pavel breathed but otherwise didn't move in case she was going to take another ex-ray. However Nurse Chapel came in after a couple of minutes and told him to get dressed. After he had done so, she asked him for any known allergies of which he had none.

"Well then, Cadet Chekov, you are done here. Please go wait in the lobby at the back of the hospital. You'll see the signs." She smiled once at him, reassuringly and then she was gone.

Pavel didn't wait around. He made sure that he had his things before hurrying for the door. Pavel made his way to the lobby at the back of the hospital. The lobby held many of the cadets who had gone before him. Commander Spock was also there watching over the cadets. No one said a word. Pavel went and sat down in an uncomfortable chair along the opposite wall. He had a feeling he would be in for a long wait. Pavel was right. It was at least another hour before the last of the cadets came through. Pavel had managed to keep himself occupied by thinking of how one would build a medical tricorder. He hadn't been able to get too far on it, but it had wasted time. Once all the cadets were there, Commander Spock had them up and out of the hospital.

They stopped at the mess hall and spent about ten minutes there scarfing down breakfast. Pavel just had yogurt and berries. Later he was very grateful that he hadn't indulged because he saw far to many people bringing it back up again.

After that they speed walked their way to some kind of outdoor gym. There was a path that seemed to be for running, climbing walls, flat deck like things that had very little on them. The Commander explained what each station was for and how to go through the obstacle course. Then he told them to go. The cadets looked at each other for a moment and then collectively shrugged and started to run. The Commander watched them for a moment and then started to run as well, following them. The Commander ran them hard, around the track, up the walls, under the ropes, do push-ups, do sit-ups, and repeat. They stopped to go to lunch, but were back at it an hour later. Pavel had never run so much in his life. At five o'clock they stopped for supper. However an hour later they were back at the track for another two hours of running.

When Pavel got to his dorm at nine, he had a shower, set his alarm and then fell into bed. He had never been so exhausted in his life. He didn't talk to his roommates and they didn't talk to him. Pavel was out before he hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>Academy Hospital, San Francisco<p>

* * *

><p>Nurse Chapel was finally done for the night. It was late and she was bone tired. In the morning she had done physicals for some of the new cadets, which always required her to be as nice and non-threatening as possible, and in the afternoon she had done inventory, which always made her brain hurt. All Christine wanted was supper, tea, a shower, and her bed. She was walking to her dorm, towards all four of those things when someone called her name. Christine ignored it and kept walking. She even walked a little faster, hoping to avoid this.<p>

'Not tonight. Any night but tonight.' She thought desperately.

Christine had no such luck. The person who had been calling her grabbed her elbow and tugged, hard enough that she had no choice but to face him.

"Christine! I was calling you." The man said. Christine said nothing, eyes steadfastly on the ground. The man frowned, confused by her silence.

"What's wrong? Did something happen at work?" Christine still refused to talk.

"Chris, I can't help you if you won't talk to me. Now what's wrong?" He said insistent. "Nothing happened at work." Christine said finally.

"But I can tell you're upset. If nothing happened at work, well…." He trailed off.

"Monty leave it. Actually why are you here? Don't you usually work late?" Monty stared at his feet. "Well…I-I wanted to see you. I haven't seen you for so long and I knew you had the night off. So…" This, instead of making Christine feels warm and gooey inside as it probably should have, made her incredibly angry.

"So, you decide that because **you** want to, **you **get to interrupt my night, but every time **I** want to have supper together or do something-anything together you blow me off to spend time with those stupid, lifeless machines." She shouted. This had been building up for so long. There was no stopping now that she had started.

"Well not anymore, Lieutenant Commander Scott." She had stopped shouting but her voice had taken on a more scornful quality.

"Christine…" Scotty began.

"No. We're through. I have had enough of playing second fiddle to machines." She said, and she sounded almost calm now.

"Enough." She whispered.

Before Scotty could react she had turned and raced away. Christine ran and ignored the tears streaming from her eyes until she was safely in her room. She slammed the door to her a room and leaned against the door. She regretted it. Had regretted it the moment she had said it. But the issues had been real and every word she had said had been true. There would be no backing down from this, no apologies. That night Christine didn't bother with supper, choosing instead to stay in her room. She still had her tea, a shower, and would enjoy her bed. Sleep, however would prove to be optional.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys. So yay! I'm pretty sure that you've met everybody now except for a few exceptions. And yes there will actually be letters in this story, promise. And I am so sorry for the late update! This is the first time I've been on a computer in so long! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.

I hope everyone is enjoying this and will keep reading. Special thanks to startrekgirl.m who is incredibly awesome.

M-R-E


	6. Information

The Academy

The next week and a half would be the most tiring of Pavel's life. He had to memorize escape drills, tactical plans, learn how to use the machinery, basic first-aid, and how to use a variety of weapons. That was just the classroom portion of his week. The physical elements alone would have been enough for a month of work. There were days when all that he did was fitness, and Commander Spock never went easy on anyone. For that week, Pavel talked only to his superiors and then only to ask questions or to say 'Yes, Sir, No, Sir'. Despite the grueling schedule and the lack of adjustment period, he got used to the physical and mental requirements. And when he wasn't looking he fell in love with this kind of life.

In fact, the army life style was coming easier to Pavel than almost anyone else. Pavel had never had any trouble with math, physics, charts, graphs or memorization. As such he had no trouble remembering all the different kinds of drills, or operating any of the navigation equipment. He had never been in such good shape before, but he had always loved running, and so even the fitness was bearable. Perhaps the only thing that Pavel missed was talking. He loved to talk, but there had been next to no chance for making friends, or even acquaintances. His roommates were the closest thing Pavel had to friends. Giotto, Cupcake, and Lieutenant Finney were all very nice, and at least tolerated Pavel. Mudd ignored him, but Pavel preferred it that way.

However the best parts of Pavel's days were the fifteen minutes he had to write and send a letter to Joanna and Hikaru. While at first he had found it hard to write to them, he had soon found more than enough things to say about his new life and from there it had become one of the best parts of the day. He never received any letters back, but he hadn't honestly expected replies. So things were good. They were going to get their assignments in two days, and then the day after they would be boarding their ships and heading to sea.

On the morning before the assignments were posted, Pavel got up and had a shower. He dressed in his uniform, combed his hair, brushed his teeth, and then headed to the mess hall. He said hi to the people that he recognized and they said hi back. When he got the mess hall, he got his breakfast, and then went and sat down at the table where his division sat. That day he sat next to a girl whom he knew, and a boy whom he didn't know at all. The three of them ate in silence until a piercing whistle rang out. This was the signal to stop eating and put your trays away. Everyone did so and then went to stand in neat, single file rows according to division. They had been trained for careful order.

Once that was done Pavel waited for Commander Spock to come to lead them to wherever they needed to go. However, instead of meeting his group of Cadets, Commander Spock called names out over the mess hall. When Pavel heard his name called he went and stood with the other cadets. Once the Commander was satisfied, he told everyone else that they were off duty for the next twenty four hours. Turning to the cadets, the Commander told them to sit. Almost as one they did so. Once this was done the Commander began to hand out sheets of paper and pens.

"Today I am going to tell you about the mission you will be embarking on. However this mission is highly confidential. We need your written agreement that what you are about to learn will not leave this room. If you sign this agreement and break it you will be immediately discharged and sent before a judge for breaking the law. Understood?" the Commander asked. Slowly the cadets nodded. There was silence as one by one the cadets read through and then signed their forms. Once they were done Commander Spock spoke again, "Firstly, know that not all the cadets will be given this information. Only those we feel are ready for this mission will be briefed on it. Secondly, you will most likely have questions. Save them for the end." With that Commander Spock began to talk.

* * *

><p>Riverside, Iowa<p>

Joanna Mccoy was walking home from school via the post office. She stopped in front of it, and then went to check the mail. After she had done this she continued on her way home. This had been Joanna's routine for the last week and a half. Every day she walked to the post office, whether or not she had school, to check the mail. She was very much hoping that she would be getting a letter or, even better, letters. She didn't particularly care if they came from her Papa, or her Uncle Jim, or Pavel. All she wanted was to know that they still remembered her and that they were okay. However today was no different from any other. There had been nothing in the mailbox, no letters, not even junk fliers for stores that Riverside didn't even have.

Dejectedly Joanna walked home. When she got to the _Enterprise _there were people eating early supper. They smiled at her and said hi as she walked past. She smiled back, half-heartedly and then ignored them as she made her way to the kitchen. Hikaru was there making lasagna for the regular evening crowd. When Joanna came in he paused from spreading tomato sauce and then swiveled to look at her. Joanna was getting into an apron and doing up her hair. She wouldn't look at him.

"No letter today?" Joanna didn't answer. This was all the answer that Hikaru needed.

Hikaru sighed. "Joanna, I'm sure that they'll write. I know Len and Jim and they wouldn't dare forget about you. Especially not Len. It has to be a mail delay that's all."

Joanna turned to stare at him. "That doesn't make it any easier, Uncle 'Karu." She said, matter of fact.

"I know. It doesn't make it better or easy or right, but you have to be patient. All the best things come from waiting." Joanna glared at that particular piece of wisdom. Then she turned on her heel and went to see if they customers needed anything. That night was particularly busy and neither Joanna nor Hikaru had a break until they closed at eight. Joanna perked up a bit after they had closed, because she got to talk to her mother. This was a special treat, as Jocelyn was only allowed one phone call per week. However, Joanna's phone calls with her mother never lasted long and this one was no different. Joanna told her mother about school, her friends, and a little bit about the café. She was careful not to tell her mother anything about her father or the lack of letters. Her parents were never on the best terms and Joanna didn't want to give either of them any more reasons to argue. Once she had filled her mother in on the events of the week, Hikaru hustled her through her bed time routine. When she was ready for school tomorrow she went and kissed her Uncle 'Karu good night and then went to bed. Sweet dreams did not come to her that night.

The next morning was the exact same as the one before it. She helped Uncle 'Karu with opening the café, got dressed and then went to school. As always, she stopped at the post office on the way there to see if there was anything for her. There wasn't. By the time Joanna got to school, she was feeling rather depressed. Her mood got better when Elizabeth Tucker, the strange, somewhat sickly girl from two blocks over, gave her two cookies at lunch. When they got to play tag for gym she was even happier. By the time Joanna walked home from school towards the post office she was feeling cheery, optimistic even.

There was no letter.

When Joanna got to the Enterprise she was in a foul mood. A slamming doors, smashing plates kind of mood. The fact that Uncle 'Karu was in a very good mood made her bad mood even worse. By the time Joanna got to the café there were only a few customers, and they had all been served. Uncle 'Karu was behind the bar drying some dishes and whistling. Joanna had only ever heard her Uncle whistle twice in her life. Once when Len had got full custody of her and the second when Hikaru had found out he wouldn't be confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life. Both had been happy, life changing kind of situations. So Joanna was suddenly a bit apprehensive as she slipped beneath the bar to the other side.

"Uncle 'Karu what are you doing?" she asked, eyeing her Uncle warily. Usually whistling meant good things, but they also meant change. And change could mean that Daddy and Uncle Jim were coming home or it could mean that they were leaving Riverside or that 'Karu was getting more surgeries for his leg. It could mean anything.

"I'm washing dishes." Uncle 'Karu said, smirking.

Joanna scowled. "You know what I meant," she said, exasperatedly. 'Karu smiled like the cheshire cat.

"Go look in your room. You'll know what I'm talking about." Joanna's eyes went wide. She bolted from the room, running for the stairs. She arrived at the door to her room, gasping for breath, but with her eyes sparkling. Carefully, she turned the doorknob and pushed her door open. Her room looked almost exactly the same as when she had left it this morning except for one thing. Two envelopes were lying on her desk. They both had soot on them, just smudges, not enough to obscure the addresses. Both were addressed to her and both came from the same place. The Academy, San Francisco. Joanna smiled, wide and bright, the moved to open and read them.

* * *

><p>The Mess Hall of The Academy, San Francisco<p>

"Seven years, five months, and seventeen days ago an American ship was scanning a specific part of the Pacific Ocean. They were receiving strange signals from what should have been open water. These signals turned out to be from two small islands, which are now known as Vulcan and Romulus. The people of this ship made contact with the people of these islands. It is now common knowledge that Vulcans and Romulans live on these islands, but besides the fact that they exist the majority of people know next to nothing about them." Commander Spock paused to take a breath, before continuing.

"After the discovery of these islands there should have been trade, discovery, exploration, anything other than what did happen, which was nothing. The UN put these two islands on lock down to protect the world from a powerful secret." Spock stopped.

"The world knows a bit about the inhabitants of these islands. They know that as a general these people have pointed ears and slanted eyebrows. But what they do not know is that the evolution of these two islands is greatly different from the rest of the world. The islands known as Vulcan and Romulus have had no contact with the rest of the world until seven years ago and even now are shut away. The evolution of these islands and its people has differed rapidly from your own. The people of these islands are essentially human, but have greater hearing, slightly different genetic codes, and are somewhat telepathic. The Vulcan's and Romulan's have much greater technology, greater strength, generally greater intellect. Essentially they are completely different species form humans. And this is a problem. They cannot mate with the greater populace as their bodies are too different. They can bring diseases into your world and vice versa. The governments of the world fear them for their advanced technology and the Vulcan's and Romulan's resent the world for disturbing them from their relative peace." Spock paused and then continued.

"There is no easy solution. Not for anybody. Not for the natives of earth who were here first, nor for the aliens among their own race. Perhaps there might be peace someday, but as of the moment a powerful anti-integration group has risen on Romulus. Peace talks go on, but the reality is that there will be war. That is why you are here. To keep peace and stop unrest." Spock stopped. He looked out over the faces of cadets and ranking officers. They knew now. Not everything but enough.

"If there are no questions you are free to go. Go out and think about what you have learned. The rest of the day is yours to do as you wish." Spock waited exactly two minutes and forty-three seconds for any questions that they had. When none came, Spock turned on his heel and exited the mess hall. It was a beautiful day in San Francisco and Spock turned his face upwards to feel the sun. After a moment's relaxation, he continued on his way.

Spock went to his room. As a ranking officer he was not required to share a room and it was a privilege that he took full advantage of. Once he was in his room he locked his door and pulled the blinds on the small room. He turned to change out of his uniform. He took a moment to inspect the curling tattoos that covered his back, neck, shoulders, and most of his chest. They were just starting to fade. He would have to keep a close eye on them. Sighing softly, Spock changed into a set of Vulcan mediation robes. They were soft and comfortable. Carefully, Spock folded himself into the lotus pose on a small mat. He closed his eyes and just breathed until he fell into a deep meditative state. The upcoming weeks and months would be trying and he needed every bit of calm and orderliness that he could muster.


	7. Interlude I

Interlude

* * *

><p>Dear Joanna and Hikaru,<p>

I'm writing you from my dorm room in San Francisco. I made it in yesterday, but haven't had a chance to write before now. San Francisco is amazing. Everything here is super sized and so very different from the towns I lived in or Riverside. I haven't had a chance to do any sight seeing other than the ride here and I doubt that I will have time to. Perhaps one day the three of us would be able to tour around the city. But I can tell you a bit about the place I'm staying at. It is a huge military base called the Academy. It is huge like the rest of San Francisco and very beautiful. It is right next to the harbor, so I can hear the waves and the sounds of boats from my room. There are sprawling grounds with gorgeous trees and flowers everywhere. All the building are very old-fashioned and made of brick.

I have just come back from assembly. I haven't seen your Father or Uncle, Joanna but I'm looking. There are so many people here though that I fear it will take some time before I can find them.

In my dorm there are supposed to be three other boys. I haven't met them yet but I hope they are nice. Oh, and perhaps the most exciting thing that has happened since I got here was when a man walked by me at assembly. He was ranked higher than a lieutenant, and was very strange. He stood up straight and was quite tall and muscular. He had skin the colour of milk and hair like coal. His eyes matched the colour of his hair, as did the tattoos that curled around his neck. His eyebrows were very strange because they slanted up at the ends. And, most peculiar of all, his ears were pointed. I am almost sure that he was a Vulcan. I was not the only person who gawked at him, which made me feel less like a country bumpkin. I would have thought that a Vulcan being in the military would have been in the news but I guess not. If I see more of him I will tell you about my findings. I should go now, as I have an early morning. I will try to write often and will look for your Father and Uncle, Joanna.

With the greatest wishes of happiness,

Cadet Pavel Chekov


	8. New Encounters

The Academy Mess Hall, San Francisco

Pavel sat there, stunned. He had known a little bit about the islands Vulcan and Romulus, everyone did. But this…this was far beyond anything that could be imagined or conceived. He had known the basics, of course, that Vulcans and Romulans looked different than other races, but what Commander Spock was talking about was practically science fiction. People so changed by evolution that they were practically a different species. Who but the greatest writers had thought that such a thing could ever be possible? And to be one of those people, to wake and find your home invaded by strangers, to face new diseases, prejudice, and the possibility of war and extinction. He couldn't imagine being one of those people. His life hadn't been easy, but this was beyond anything. It hurt to think about.

Slowly Pavel stood and left the mess hall. His thoughts were a jumbled mess and he needed to untangle them. He thought about going back to his dorm; dismissed the idea immediately. He didn't want to be anywhere on campus. In fact he wanted to be as far away as possible. He had never been so grateful for a day off.

In the end Pavel just wandered until he found a quiet park not too far from the Academy. It was small, secluded, and children were playing on a playground. Trees provided ample shade from the sun, as Pavel searched for a secluded bench. When he found a bench secluded enough, Pavel plopped down and sank into his thoughts. He knew that he couldn't tell anyone about what he had learned but he longed to write Hikaru and Joanna about it, just to get it off his chest. He couldn't though; even if he had been able to, the idea of burdening them with his knowledge made him feel sick. After a couple of moments, Pavel closed his eyes and began to shift his thoughts into an orderly pattern. If you could see into Pavel's brain this is what it would look like.

There are two islands in the Pacific Ocean called Vulcan and Romulus

The inhabitants of said islands are Vulcans and Romulans

These inhabitants are very smart and advanced as a race

These people have evolved separately from humans and are quite different

The list of differences are as follows

Superior hearing

Enhanced agility and strength

Possibly a vastly different bone structure or circulatory system (?)

Slightly telepathic (?)

Pointed ears

Possibly many other things

These people are extremely private

They don't seem to like humans much

There is a radical group looking for war

This war is inevitable

Pavel re-organized his mind again and again. It never gave him better news. Sighing, Pavel opened his eyes and was about to get up when a young woman sat next to him. He turned to stare at her. She was pretty, with dark brown hair and eyes to match, and an eclectic dress sense. She faced him and was smiling widely.

"Hello, my name is Irina. I was just walking by and saw you and I thought, 'Perhaps this young soldier would like an ear to talk upon?'" Irina said, her eyes shining sympathetically and her smile understanding. Pavel just stared at her, unsure of what to say. "Or not, I can go if I have bothered you too badly," She said hastily.

"No, no. I appreciate the offer. It is just what I am looking for," Pavel said, his natural charm surfacing. "Then I can help you. Tell me your troubles and when you are done perhaps they won't seem so bad." She nodded once as if that settled it. Pavel regarded her for a couple moments. He couldn't…wouldn't tell her about his real problem but perhaps he could paraphrase. She was right of course; talking about things was quite therapeutic.

"Well, I joined the army, because I didn't have anywhere else to go, but now, now things are complicated. I haven't even gotten my assignment yet, but already things are so different from how I thought they would be. I can't tell if it's a good different or a bad different. I thought that by joining the army I could make a difference in the world. Now I'm wondering if that difference will make things worse rather than better," Pavel said, a little sadly. Irina stared at him. She seemed to consider her words very carefully before speaking.

"I do not know much about good and bad, but as I see it, the only way to on your path and your beliefs is to keep going. If you find that you're making the world better keep going. And if you're making it worse, or part of a corrupt corporation than make it better. Infiltrate and then be the change you want to see in the world. There is a song like that, yes?" Pavel gave a small laugh and then nodded. He felt better; lighter somehow. "Thank you so much. You've made my day much better." Pavel leaned over and kissed her on both cheeks and then hopped up from the bench. "Wait." Irina called as Pavel turned away. He turned to face her. Irina handed him a small piece of paper filled with looping handwriting. "This is my address. I'm sure you won't have time, but if you can I would love to hear from you. Please write and if you ever need a place to stay in San Francisco let me know. My place is always good for some stragglers," Irina said, smiling. Then she got up and left. Pavel stared at her retreating back for a moment before continuing on his way back to the Academy.

* * *

><p>Romulus<p>

Nyota was led from her cell to another much larger, brighter room. She was glad for the change of pace. Ever since her meeting with Nero, she had been on edge and twitchy. Even more paranoid than she had been. Now though, away from her cell, she felt as if she could breath. Light filtered into the room through the huge windows that were on every wall. White stone counters wrapped around the walls. They were littered with lab equipment, some that Nyota could recognize and others that were utterly foreign to her. As the guards led her to a doorway, Nyota glimpsed a number of cages through a window. She quickly turned away. She didn't want to know what horrors might be there. The guards gestured for her to step outside. She did. It wasn't as if she had any choice in the matter. Outside, it was pleasantly warm outside, just the slightest of breezes to stir the branches of the trees. In the distance, Nyota could see large hills and huge forests. Right outside the door there was lush grass and exotic flowers that she had never seen before. Not too far away, Nyota could see a stone courtyard with paths that faded into the distance. In the middle of the courtyard stood a figure dressed in a long black cloak. Nyota was led to where the person was sitting. Nyota eyed the figure warily. It hadn't moved since she had noticed the creature and it was too warm for any normal person not to fidget. Nyota and her guards stopped right in front of the being. The Romulans bowed deeply to the person, then turned and hurried to leave them alone. Nyota tracked them with her eyes. She wondered if she could escape now.

"I know what you're thinking. You think you can escape because the guards left. You can't. They are always watching," said the figure. It had a girlish voice, soft and melodic with a vague Irish accent to it.

"Who are you?" Nyota asked her curiosity reawakened.

"A friend, I hope. Our circumstances are quite similar. I used to be quite a lot like you. Not so much anymore."

"What do you mean used to be a lot like me?" Nyota asked.

"I only meant that this place has a habit of changing people. Body and soul." Nyota frowned at the cryptic information. Cautiously, she reached out to touch the girl's shoulder. The girl gasped and shivered violently when she was touched. The hood of her cloak moved, and Nyota just glimpsed a flash of green and red before the girl moved away. "Sorry," she said, "I don't get touched very often anymore. Perhaps you'll understand why." Slowly the girl raised gloved hands and lifted the hood from her face. Nyota gasped. The girl was gorgeous. She had brilliant red hair, bright green eyes, a figure that most girls would kill for, and deep green skin. Her skin was unlike any kind of colour that Nyota had seen. The girl smiled, enjoying Nyota's shock. "My name's Gailia. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Nyota gaped and then spluttered, "You-you're-I mean-well-you're green!" Gailia smiled. "Why yes I am. I'm surprised you noticed. I'm green all over in case you were wondering," Gailia added with a flirtatious wink. Nyota just stared. What was the world coming to? Pointed ears, green skin, what would be next wings?"

"I'm quite human," Gailia said, trying to reassure Nyota, "I'm a prisoner here, as well as a genetic experiment. There isn't anything else weird about me, except my skin tone. I don't think anything like this will happen to you. Nero has a soft spot for you. He won't risk your good looks."

Nyota gulped at that. After staring for a bit longer she gathered her wits about her and said, "Let's start over. My name's Nyota Uhura. It's very nice to meet you, Gailia. I hope we can be friends."

Gailia put her head back and laughed as she hadn't in a long time.


	9. Interlude II

Interlude II

* * *

><p>Dear Hikaru and Joanna,<p>

I hope you are both fantastically happy. I'm still quite excited to be here. Today we got a day off, in preparation of the posting of assignments tomorrow. I'm very excited to find out where I will be posted. There are many ships here that are like works of art. I'm hoping to be posted to a ship called the _Excalibur_. On a side note, I haven't found your Uncle or Father yet, Joanna, though I haven't given up hope. In fact, I suspect that they both work on the _Excalibur_. Hopefully this is the case, or else I shall feel awful about failing the task that you have set me, Joanna.

You'll be happy to know that I am making more friends here in San F. You know about my roommates-I still don't get along with Mudd but I suspect that we won't be on the same ship-but today I made a friend who isn't a soldier. Her name is Irina. She is quite nice, and Russian, so of course she is already above and beyond nearly everyone else I have met. She has given me an address to write to, so your letters aren't the only ones I will be writing.

As I'm not sure what ship I will be assigned to, I don't even know what kind of work I will be doing. I suspect that from here I will be headed straight out to sea. This means that this will probably be the last letter you get from me in quite some time. Know that I will be thinking of you and will continue writing even when I can't send you my letters.

I hope that all is well in Riverside, and that business is good at the _Enterprise_. It seems to me that you should be in the throes of school, Joanna. I hope that you are doing well, learning lots, and enjoying school. Many people do not, and I would prefer you to have a different experience.

Thinking of you lots,

With the greatest wishes of happiness,

Cadet Pavel Chekov

* * *

><p>Dear Irina,<p>

Hopefully I have gotten your address right. I would just like to thank you again for your kind hospitality at the park. You have helped me in ways that cannot be comprehended. Tomorrow I get my assignment and will probably be leaving for quite some time. I hope that you are well and will continue to be so.

Thanks again,

With the greatest wishes of happiness,

Cadet Pavel Chekov


End file.
